Viltu business? Stories from local entrepreneurs
Jacek Kowalik, the owner of the Coffee Bike Reykjavik moved to Iceland in 2016. Photograph: Coffee Bike Reykjavik.Coffee from a bike
With two cups per day per person, Iceland comes fourth on the world’s highest coffee consumption list. Jacek Kowalik opened Coffee Bike Reykjavík to offer a variety of coffee drinks to walkers and cyclists enjoying the parks and squares of Reykjavík.
Coffee has been an indispensable part of Icelandic culture and everyday life since coffee beans were brought to Iceland at the beginning of the eighteenth century. These days in the heart of Reykjavík you can order a cup of the local roast at almost every corner but during the rush hours and weekends better to be prepared to wait!
“Quick takeaway coffee is what I was missing in Reykjavík,” says Jacek Kowalik, the owner of Coffee Bike Reykjavik, the first mobile coffee cart in Iceland. “I was always irritated by waiting in line at the coffee shops. Also, if you are with a pram, bicycle, or scooter, it's always a headache to order a drink.”
STREET AND SQUARE SALE PERMIT In Reykjavík, if you want to sell or offer for sale any article in public, such as squares, streets, sidewalks, and parks, you must apply for a permit.
ONLINE REGISTRATION
In Iceland, a private limited company can be established online at the electronic company register of the RSK. The registration process is completely electronic and signing is done only with the use of electronic IDs. The registration takes about two days.
A foldable roof and roll-up walls protect the coffee cart from Icelandic weather.
Photograph: Coffee Bike Reykjavik.Since 2021, Coffee Bike Reykjavik has been offering a variety of coffee drinks to walkers and cyclists at different points in Reykjavík. “It’s a 100% ecological Arabica from Honduras, with a mild, balanced flavour at medium caffeine content. There is a note of dark chocolate and hazelnut to it,” says Jacek. His coffee cart also offers a selection of teas and hot chocolate. For those who would like to make their coffee at home, Coffee Bike Reykjavik also prepares a blend of beans sold in small packages.
Jacek didn’t have previous experience in business, but he knew a lot about coffee thanks to years of work for restaurants and a few courses in coffee making. In 2021, five years after moving to Iceland, Jacek came up with the idea of Coffee Bike Reykjavik and registered it as a private limited company ehf using the online form at RSK. Jacek chose ehf having the future development of the company in mind, and more flexibility in hiring and accounting.
The Coffee Bike Reykjavik is a mild blend from Honduras, medium-roasted with notes of dark chocolate and hazelnuts. Photograph: Coffee Bike Reykjavik.When setting up his business Jacek applied also for the Street and square sale permit (Götu- og torgsala) from the City of Reykjavík and a Work permit (Starfsleyfi) from the Department of Health (Heilbrigðiseftirlit Reykjavíkur).
Coffee Bike Reykjavik is a side business for Jacek. Due to the weather, the company operates seasonally from mid-May till mid-September. Jacek is the main barista at the moment, but he plans to invest in more coffee carts, new selling locations, and an online store.
“Running a company gives me great satisfaction. The possible development of the company and the brand, the prospects. But the positive atmosphere in the work environment and flexible working hours is what I cherish the most” adds Jacek with a broad smile.
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